Take a look at what the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has to
say about the Nicolet Minerals Co.'s most recent version
of the Crandon mine proposal.

Today, when we mourn the loss of another warrior in the fight to stop the
proposed mine--Mole Lake Sokaogon elder and veteran, Evan "Crazy Horse"
Smith-- the following editorial is a welcome bit of good news. Moreover, the
editorial serves as a reality-check on Nicolet's recent public relations push
to sell the mine to the public, even before the State and Federal regulators
finish the required work of studying the proposal and the changes. The Milwaukee
Journal Sentinel should be congratulated on continuing its editorial stance
against the proposal. Unlike the Wisconsin State Journal, the Milwaukee paper
actually seems to understand the regulatory process, and as well, the
inherent risks and unavoidable impacts posed by the mine. Should you wish
to comment, write them at:

It's nearly impossible to eliminate risks in life, but some risks can be
easily avoided. Building a mine in one of the most environmentally
fragile parts of this state is a good example.

The best way to eliminate the chance that the proposed copper and
zinc mine near Crandon does not contaminate the precious natural
resources in that region is not to build the mine at all.

Nicolet Minerals, the company that wants to dig 55 million tons of
copper and zinc ore from a deposit near the headwaters of the Wolf River,
believes it can do it safely. We remain unconvinced, and the state officials
who must approve the mine should be skeptical as well.

In an attempt to allay environmental concerns, mine officials have
announced new safeguards, including intense treatment of wastewater at
the site, as opposed to the original idea of piping the water to the Wisconsin
River about 30 miles away. The wastewater would be cleaned to the point
where it exceeded safe drinking water, and then piped underground.

That and other changes--including removing pyrite tailings from the ore,
combining them with cement and reburying the mix to reduce the
possibility that toxic runoff would pollute ground water and nearby streams
and lakes--are major concessions by Nicolet Minerals. But we still question
whether they're enough to protect a vulnerable forested wetland area such
as this.

Mining officials also say they can now meet the tough standards imposed
by the so-called metal ore moratorium passed earlier this year by the
Legislature. The measure requires them to identify a number of similar mines
elsewhere that have operated for 10 years without polluting the environment
along with a similar mine that had been closed 10 years without causing
environmental damage.

"This mine," a Nicolet official now boldly promises, "will be the most
environmentally friendly ever designed in the world."

Sounds awfully reassuring but, unfortunately, it's not saying all that much
considering the less-than-stellar global environmental record of the mining
industry in general.

State officials believe Nicolet officials have listened to the concerns of the
citizens and the Department of Natural Resources and have aggressively
attempted to address those matters. We don't disagree; even some
environmentalists, while still opposed to the mine, are encouraged by the
changes, which are expected to add millions to the project's cost.

But this is still a lousy place to dig a mine. The jobs the mine would
generate are just not worth the environmental risks or the potential
harm to the area's tourism and recreation industry.